Bubble Boy (sort of)

[NYIsles 0]

The timing of this strikes me as uncanny...I just found the link to Daniel's old Cardplayer articles yesterday (courtesy of another poster; I can't remember who it was...). I was reading through some of the articles, and came across the one regarding playing not to lose in tourneys. This one got to me, since my primary goal when playing in what few tourneys I have played in was always to try to make it into the $$. Of course, squeaking in meant rarely getting a sniff at the top spots...So, I hadn't played a tourney in a while, but I decided to play a $25 no limit buy-in at Paradise tonight. The top 30 spots were paid; the winner got $1,500 (which would have been great for me).So, with 34 players left, I'm sitting in 20th spot, right around the chip avg with about $7.5K. (The chip leader had about $24K, if memory serves. Blinds at this point were 400-800 with a $50 ante.) I'm dealt AcQc in the small blind. An out of position player with about $4.5K goes all-in, and it's folded around to me.My instinct before reading Daniel's article would have been to let this hand go, and slide into the $$. In fact, I'm sure that's what I would have done. But then I thought about the prospects of winning, and decided that even as a dog against AA, KK or AK, I had this player covered - and could otherwise afford a race. So I reraised all-in to drive out the BB and it was heads up. Well, he had AK, and it held up.Two hands later I was dealt KK, and committed what little I had left against the chip leader, who turned over AT. The flop came AAx, and a T came up on the turn for good measure. Bounced in 33rd spot. Not exactly the bubble, but it sure felt like it considering where I was a couple of hands before.I thought about my play for a little while after, and I'm really not sure if I played this the right way or not. But my instinct tells me that these are the kinds of decisions you need to make if you're going to make $$ in tournaments over the long haul.I wonder what you guys would have done in the same situation?Thanks in advance...

[Hardrocker 0]

The only thing that you might second guess about your play is calling with AcQc. With a player going all in there you can figure he had AK, AQ, or a decent pair. This leaves you a coin flip a best, while being dominated part of the time.Making decisions with an average size stack fairly deep into a tourney can get pretty tricky; I find in these positions that I like to be the one to force the action, not to call the action.Next time try to put yourself in the role of actor, not reactor.Good luck in the future.

[Smasharoo 0]

You played both hands correctly. You were unlucky that a short stack who's probably correct to push wih any ace and any PP here if your blind sizes are correct happened to have a hand that left you with a two outer.The KK hand you were obviously just unlucky that he hit a three outer.Stuff happens. Because of the payout structure of most tournaments you're correct to make both plays even if this same result happens most of the time. If you were DEAD ON the bubble, I'd have probably folded the AQ, but made the same play with the KK. Three off, though, it's worth the risk/reward ratio to move your stack size to above average and give you a chance to agressively try to win the thing.If making the AQ play means you lose 3/4 of times, which it very likely doesn't, I still make the play. If tournament payouts were more linear instead of being crazily topheavy, I'd have folded the AQ. They're not though.

[jayboogie 0]

I'd have played it the same way as you. Shortstacked will go in with AX, AQ is not such a bad hand to call with. Considering your playing against a short stack and the blind structure will just go up very quickly, you need to make a stand when you get a hand. KK pushing all-in is automatic, you just got unlucky, not much you can do. I don't think you played it incorrectly.

[Guest]

You could make a case for folding the A Q . AQ is a very problematic hand, in my opinion similar to QQ and JJ. While it looks like a very strong hand, it can get you in a whole lot of trouble.Personally, unless I have a very large stack, or I have seen the player make a lot of preflop raises and all-in raises with moderate hands, I am not calling with the AQ, suited or unsuited. Raising is a totally different thing, obviously. I have no qualms about PUTTING a shortstack all in with this hand. This close to the money, with an average stack, and with more than 1/2 your stack in question if you call, I say fold. Right inside the bubble, you can call with this hand in this spot- most people play a lot looser inside the bubble than outside.

[Slayre 0]

I would have had no problem folding that hand with only the SB invested...... ...I wonder if the chip leader would have called your KK all in if you had had an average stack size, or if you would have even had to go all in...prolly not... prolly would have been able to limp in, see that flop, and limp on out and have kept playing...I don't understand the other point of view.. I play my way and I win a fair share of the money available out there...but it works for them, just not for me... I would've thought.... ok, he prolly is not bluffing, so I will give him half a bet and see if the BB wants to try to take him out...I've got a whole round now, before the BB comes around again to force me to bet.. I'm hoping a bettre oppurtunity comes along...if not, well, I'm still in the money, most likely... seems to me, in this particular situation, the risk of loss, far outweighed the potential gain.Hmm, now I'm wondering if I would win 'more than my fair share', if i took the time to figure out that other point of view.. heh...

[JimmyWellington 1]

I played in my first limit tournament today at the casino (I play a lot of NL tournaments online and every week at the casino, but today I was off work and decided to try the limit tournament.). It wasn't a big one, $13 buyin, no rebuys, $1000 guaranteed. Started with 90 players, top 10 get paid. The bottom 3-4 spots are only about $30, with most of the money going to top 2 or 3. Two tables left, blinds at 2-4k, I have about 12k, I'm about in the middle. I know there about about 11-12 players left. I'm in the BB and I see AK with one raiser. Little blind folds and I reraise, cause this guy's been trying to steal the blinds. Anyway, all our chips end up in the middle and he flips over A9. He flops a 9 and I'm out. I'm not pissed though, cause I came to win the tournament, not just get $30. Great ending though, turns out that a player busted out in 11th, before I did so I finish in 10th and get the $30 anyway!You gotta decide if you want to play to win, or play to survive. Both styles have their proponents. I play to win.